Testimonials

This is just to let you know how much I have valued your help over the last year in carrying out the Food Micromodel commercialisation exercise which has recently resulted in the successful awarding of a licence for its future exploitation. I am only too well aware of how much hard work this task has required and there is no doubt that without your dedication to it, we would not have been able to complete as quickly as we did. As you know, I have had to rely heavily on you to deal with much of the detail of this exercise and to keep the whole process moving along at a brisk pace.

“During Bob’s 16 month assignment, he was invaluable in building a stronger relationship between our private US-based, software company and our UK government user. He helped us define and tune internal process that better matched the needs of government projects. His experience and affable nature were greatly appreciated on the project”.

Scott AndrewsSenior Director, Product DevelopmentBentley Systems

This was a key period for the NHS Direct Interactive Digital TV Service, involving transfer of responsibility for the service from the Department of Health to the NHS Direct Special Health Authority

Robert facilitated the novation of contracts with suppliers from Department of Health to NHS Direct and established good working relationships with suppliers.

He project managed a series of NHS Direct interactive workstreams, ensuring the service remained innovative and forward looking.

Robert’s most significant achievement with NHS Direct was to increase in-house ownership and engagement with digital TV processes. Both editorial and technical staff felt greater involvement and empowerment by the end of Robert’s experience, reducing the risk of dependence on individuals and making the best use of individual talents

We wish him well in the future

Bob GannMedia Director,NHS Direct

I’d say that you’re first rate project manger, proven by bringing together a mess of a project into a coherent whole. Without support from superiors, you managed to get a rabble of people to work together towards a common, focussed goal. In my mind this was made even harder given the mix of personalities, which didn’t fall into a natural order.

By this I mean the personality profiles were skewed heavily in one direction, with huge gaps in others.

I for one appreciate that you worked hard to effectively remove a few particularly troublesome people. You also did a great job of mentoring new and existing people to fill the gaps in the project.

Rarely have I been impressed by the ability you have to not only identify important things that are going wrong, being done badly or not at all – i.e. damaging the programme as a whole – but also to identify them at exactly the right time and take short, sharp corrective action with a minimum of fuss. So much so that I suspect most people didn’t even recognise the problems let alone realise that they were being corrected!

The thing that sticks in my mind is the way you did the above not only once, but many times on the project.

If I were to pass on comments to set expectations to a future employer, I would say that:

– Bob approaches a new engagement by taking time to assess the project – it’s current status, the key players plus all the rest of the team, the business and technical background.

– Then, Bob takes control of the project by gaining trust and establishing himself as the leader.

– By taking corrective actions (mentioned above) Bob ‘nudges’ a project onto the right track, then applies the gas to get it moving at full steam ahead to the defined goal.

– Bob takes pride in his work, taking the job very seriously and thinking hard about the tasks at hand. A conscientious person that looks to do the right thing and better himself at every opportunity.

– It is obvious to me that Bob has significant experience of project / programme management and directorship, and works extremely effectively in these roles.

All this is of course based on my observations of one programme in a particularly difficult role. I trust you’ll keep these comments confidential from other people we know in common.

Project Management, Legal & General - team of 80Technical ArchitectLegal and GeneralBrighton

“If the opportunity arose in the future to work with you, I would do so without hesitation”

Roger LovegroveCFO Software Company

“Significant amount of change (sensitively and effectively) and Bob managed this well. Developed his skills further, especially in stakeholder management”

John SpiersProject DirectorGlobal Oil Company

Bob is a professional and self motivated project manger. He is able to build relationships with key members of the project organisation and takes a pragmatic approach to project management in order to meet his goals and objectives. If the opportunity arose I would work with him again.

Mark SternHead of Business Intelligence Gala Coral Group

With the successful completion of the Global Service Desk project and the associated Global IS Processes, I would like to thank you for outstanding contribution to the programme. In particular, your personal contribution to the quality of the business processes and the underpinning procedures has been a significant element in the project’s success. I am especially grateful for your teamwork, your drive and your diligence to deliver a complete, correct, and innovative solution. Without doubt, the development of a clear and consistent set of IT procedures was instrumental in moving the new DHL organisation onto a common platform. It was also a major factor in the project being recently awarded IT SMF ITIL Project of the Year”. Very best wishes for your future career.

David SteventonGlobal Service ManagerDHLLondon and Prague

“Bob’s approach was based on building collaboration between the teams, so that there was an environment for problem solving, and a clear path to resolve conflict”

Mark HarrapProgramme DirectorSHL

Bob came into Ordnance Survey at a pivotal time to kick-start a project that was in danger of not delivering whilst also busting its budget. Bob got hold of the project quickly, understanding and getting down to the nitty gritty – to enable the causes to be fixed, rather than the symptoms which a less able programme manager would have seen by only scratching at the surface. Bob is highly analytical and intelligent I think too – but in the way that is practical and pragmatic – I guess as a result of his many positions and years of experience – able to depict his findings / present them in an accessible and clear manner to fuel wider team discussions and ensure buy-in from all involved